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Gojulas
The Gojulas is a Tyrannosaurus type Zoid, one of over two hundred species of biomechanical lifeforms that form the basis of TOMY's Zoids model, anime, and game franchise. The Gojulas was the main Republic Zoid featured in TOMY's Original Japanese Release advertising, one of the main Zoid characters in the UK Zoids comic, and appears in the first three Anime series. It is modeled to resemble and named after Godzilla. Overview The Gojulas is a very Godzilla influenced Dinosaur-type (also listed as a Tyrannosaurus type) Zoid, created by the Helic Republic, and used during the various wars on Zi. The Gojulas was the third large Zoid produced by the Helic Republic, after the Mammoth and Bigasaur. The Gojulas incorporated all the lessons learned from the previous two Zoids, and was a considerable improvement over them. More heavily armed and armored than the previous two Zoids, the Gojulas was the most powerful Zoid on Zi for a long time after its development. While the Gojulas is ponderously slow, the Zoid is extremely agile, especially when considering its size; on top of that, it is capable of functioning underwater. The Zoid is very capable in close combat, able to attack opponents with its claws and fangs or, if need be, whip them with its tail, which packs a wallop powerful enough to knock even mid-sized Zoids off their feet. The main weakness of the Gojulas design was the lack of long-range weaponry. To redress this problem, an improved version, the Gojulas Mk II was developed. This version mounted a pair of massive cannons, later to be known as the Republic Supercannons, on the back, giving the Gojulas a tremendous long-range punch. The cannons were so powerful that they were even able to blast through the thick armour of the Iron Kong with ease. While the mass of the cannons did slow the Zoid down, it was considered an acceptable tradeoff. A second improved version, the Gojulas Mk II Limited was also developed. In addition to the Supercannons, the Zoid mounted numerous additional weapons and systems to further enhance its performance. Extra fuel tanks gave the Supercannons more ammunition, while stabilizers improved their accuracy. Battle Story appearances The Gojulas was first deployed by the Helic Republic in ZAC 2029. The Zoid had a devastating effect on the Zenebas forces; none of the Zoids in the Zenebas arsenal could stand against it. Even with the introduction of the Red Horn, the Zenebas forces were still at a disadvantage, and had to wait until the development of the Iron Kong before the Empire have a weapon capable of matching the Helic Zoid in single combat. In ZAC 2035, the Republic introduced a new model of Gojulas, the Gojulas Mk II Limited. This version featured expanded weaponry, specifically a pair of massive, long range cannons that were capable of destroying smaller Zoids in a single shot. This model proved to be too expensive for mass production, however, and so only a few were produced. A slightly downgraded version that removed most of the new weapons, but retained the Supercannons, entered mass production as the Gojulas Mk II. The Gojulas remained in service with the Republic's armies until the Grand Cataclysm of ZAC 2056. At some stage post-Cataclysm, the Helic Republic began mass production of a new model Gojulas, based on the original version without the Mk II’s Supercannons. Gojulas units served with the Helic forces during the Western Continent War, and remained one of their most effective Zoids. Cannon-equipped units, along with the Ultrasaurus were part of the Destroyer Corps and were used to shell Guylos forces from great distances, devastating the enemy army. In ZAC 2100, the Republic created a new version of the Gojulas that was modified to use an Organoid System, as well as featuring an expanded arsenal. Based on the Older Mk II Limited, the resulting Gojulas the Ogre had dramatically improved performance, but also was an uncontrollable berserker that only the most skilled pilots could operate. As a result, only a few were produced. Of note is a single Gojulas the Ogre that fought on September, ZAC 2100 against the Prozen Knights - easily defeating an Iron Kong PK. Media appearances UK Zoids Comic In the UK Zoids comic, Zoidzilla was the mightiest of the Blue Zoids and the leader of their armies. Zoidzilla was unbeaten in Heroic Combat, and didn’t like the idea of working with other Zoids instead of fighting them. He saw the Blue Army as a temporary measure until the Reds were defeated. Zoidzilla was created prior to the beginning of the story; it was due to a surge in excess power from Zoidzilla that the last of the Zoidarians were destroyed and Zoidstar was reduced to a lifeless desert. Zoidzilla’s arch enemy was Krark, the Prince of Darkness. Krark wanted Zoidzilla as an ally, but Zoidzilla just wanted a fight. The pair of them did form a brief alliance, however, to destroy Redhorn. Zoidzilla was badly damaged by the first attack of the Black Zoid. While his body could be repaired, he was without a pilot. His Mindrider was badly damaged and, as no other Mindrider could operate him, he was effectively dead. However, at the climax of the battle against the Black Zoid, Heller’s son, Griff took control of Zoidzilla and used it to attack the Black Zoid. Zoidzilla was again disabled, but not before striking a fatal blow to the Black Zoid. Zoidzilla’s status following the battle is unclear; it was not stated if he was repairable or if they could create a new Mindrider for him. Anime Chaotic Century and Guardian Force The remains of a Gojulas could be seen in the first episode of Chaotic Century. The first operational one would not be seen until episode 15. In this episode, the Gojulas (also known as the ZG) would be used by the Helic Republic to fend off the advances of the Guylos Empire. Initially, Krueger was supposed to pilot the still-experimental Zoid, but as he was injured Rob Herman took over the role. In this deployment, the Gojulas (a Mk. II variant, as all Gojulas featured in the anime are) was devastatingly effective, effortlessly overpowering the oncoming Guylos forces and forcing them to retreat. Herman would pursue his opponents, but would prove incapable of properly piloting the Zoid, and ends up toppling it, letting the Empire's forces escape. Many more Gojulas would be seen partaking in the front-line defence of New Helic City. Aware of the power of these Zoids, the Empire undertook an operation to lure the Gojulas division out of the Helic capital before mounting a seaborne assault. However this would fail due the efforts of the series' protagonists. A temporary reprieve from the war would follow shortly, as the Guylos' Emperor passed away, leaving crown prince Rudolph to call a cease fire. Due to this lull in major battles, the Gojulas would not see use for a significant number of episodes. They return to the front when Regent Prozen revives the Death Saurer. Joining with the Empire's forces, the Gojulas is employed to try and stop Prozen's rampaging Zoid. Irvine is also given a Gojulas, (in a black color scheme that is similar to the one on his Command Wolf) but both he and Herman are easily dispatched by the sheer power and size of the Death Saurer. In Guardian Force the Gojulas would only play minor roles. Still highly respected by the Helic army as a powerful Zoid, they would be notably employed against Raven's Geno Breaker. Utilising optical stealth, Gojulas units would be used to ambush the Geno Breaker. Believing that Raven's Zoid could not fire is Charged Particle Cannon without its footlocks, a strategy would be developed that exploited this precipitated weakness. As soon as one footlock was disabled, the hidden Gojulas division assaulted the Geno Breaker. However, the Geno Breaker's energy shield would prove to be all but invulnerable to conventional weapons, even ones as powerful as the Gojulas' supercannons, and the ambush would fail. To make the situation even worse, the Geno Breaker revealed that it could in fact fire its Charged Particle Cannon without its footlocks. Before this powerful weapon, even the Gojulas' thick armour offered virtually no protection, and the Zoids were quickly annihilated. A final Gojulas would be used to train Van, Irvine and Thomas. Even though the Zoid was regarded as a formidable enemy, it was nothing compared to the Death Stinger, and as such, was used in live ammunition trials in order to test the shield system that would later be used to trap Hiltz in the firing line of the Ultrasaurus' Gravity Cannon. New Century Gojulases only appeared briefly in Zoids: New Century; several were seen as law enforcement units in one episode, while another fought the Blitz Team during the Royal Cup-- requiring the combined finishing moves of all three Blitz Team Zoids to bring it down. Harry Champ mentions that he owned a Gojulas, but it was never seen onscreen. Zoids Web Comic Two variants of the Gojulas Mariner feature in the TOMY-produced Zoids Web Comic. The Gojulas Mariner Type A resembled the original Zoid, but had additional attachments to allow it to fight better underwater while retaining its mobility on land. The Gojulas Mariner Type B has been extensively modified to operate entirely in an underwater combat environment. As a result of the modifications, the Zoid resembles a Mosasaurus. The two Zoids are used to protect a large carrier Zoid as it travels across the ocean. They fight off a pair of Death Stingers, but a third Death Stinger manages to board and attempts to attack the cargo, which is revealed to be a fully-operational Gojulas Giga, which proceeds to tear the Death Stinger apart. Video Games Various versions of the Gojulas make appearances in several different games. The Zoids Saga series features basic Gojulas, Gojulas Mk II, Gojulas Mariner, and Gojulas the Orge. In Zoids Legacy, the player must fight two Gojulas Mk IIs, and a Gojulas the Orge before they can obtain the Blitz Tiger. Several versions are also appear in the Zoids VS series of games, including all of the versions available in Zoids Saga, along with a version called Gojulas Irvine (which features a black color scheme). Gojulas play a minor role in Zoids VS II (Zoids Battle Legends), as they are fought during the Chaotic Century / Gaurdian Force battle mode, where the player fights Irvine and Herman, both who are piloting different Gojulas equipped with optic camouflage. The Gojulas Mariner appears in Zoids Battle Colosseum, piloted by one of the game's villain characters, Norton. Several versions can be used throughout the game, such as the Gojulas Gunner with large CP-10 cannons, and an original white Gojulas. Trading Cards The Gojulas was featured in all of the Zoids Trading Cards releases. Gojulas the Orge was also featured in the Original Battle Story and the Trading Collection Cards release. Other * A Gojulas model makes a brief cameo appearance in the American version of Godzilla 1985, (specifically the Robostrux Terox). * A Zoidzilla toy is on display at the Natural History Museum, in their "dinosaurs in popular culture" exhibit, alongside Great Gorgon, Stegozoid and some original G1 Dinobots. Models Original Japanese Release *Assembly required. (Snap-together, no glue needed. Scissors or X-acto knife recommended for trimming off excess plastic bits.) *The model's colors are molded into the plastic, and it does not need any paint. The Gojulas kit comes on five frames (one of which is a weapons frame also shared with the Gordos, Bigasaur and Mammoth), along with a battery-powered motor with light, a second battery box, canopy cover, thirty-two rubber caps, a frame of washers, two metal weights, a small chromed pilot, and label sheets. The Gojulas is molded in gray, dull gray, and dull blue, with gray weapons and a smoke colored canopy. The Gojulas’ construction is reasonably involved and complex. Particular care must be taken with the tail, as the point of connection with the body is very fragile and easily broken. The Gojulas uses a pair of “C” sized batteries for motion. Once activated, the Zoid walks forwards, waving its arms, its head tuning side to side, and the jaws opening and closing. A second pair of “AA” Batteries is used to power a red light in the Gojulas’ head. Like several other Zoids of the time, the Gojulas could be equipped with a number of different optional weapons that were included in the Republic Customise Set. The Gojulas was released in 1983, and was produced up until about 1986. Original European Release The Gojulas was released under the name Zoidzilla in the UK and Europe in 1985-87. This version was identical to the Japanese release. Robostrux The Gojulas was released in the U.S. as part of the Robostrux line, under the name Terox. This version possessed a different color scheme, being blue, aqua and gray with silver-colored, chromed weapons; it is otherwise identical. Gojulas Mk II Mass Production In 1987, TOMY introduced a new version of the Gojulas, replacing the existing one in production. This version had a new color scheme, being black and white with gray. The eyes were changed from red to green. The Zoid also had a molding change, with a pair of large pegs being added onto the battery pack. The pegs were added to allow the mounting of a pair of large cannons, included with the kit, onto the Zoid's back. These mold changes were carried forwards to all Gojulases released after this, regardless of if they had the cannons or not. Gojulas Mk II Limited A limited edition version of the Gojulas Mk II was also released at the same time. This version had a desert tan and light brown color scheme, and red eyes. In addition to the cannons from the Mk II, the Mk II Limited featured an extra frame of weapons. Zoids2 A version of the Gojulas was released in the Zoids2 line, under the name Zoidzilla. Zoidzilla was released in the UK and Europe in the mid 90s. This version was colored chrome silver, white, and black, and had green eyes. The application of the chrome on this Zoid is particularly poor and often the base plastic is visible underneath. Technozoids The Zoids2 Zoidzilla was also released in the U.S. and Canada, as a part of the Technozoids line. This version was identical to the Zoids2 release, and may have simply been a re-release of leftover stock. New Japanese Release The Gojulas was re-released in Japan in 1999, as the first Zoid kit of the New Japanese Release. This version had a different color scheme, being a dull gray, silver, and black with red eyes and a gray pilot. There were no changes to the design, although the Zoid suffered from poor mold quality. TOMY also released an upgrade kit for the Gojulas, the CP-10 Gojulas Cannons. The CP-10 is identical to the cannons originally included in the Gojulas Mk II. There have also been Gojulas kits packed in boxes in Spanish though not much is known. It seems the Spanish versions had better mold quality, apparently having been cleaned up slightly. Several chromed versions were released by Leoshop of Taiwan. Gojulas the Ogre This version was released in Japan as a limited edition model in 2000. This version is identical to the Gojulas Mk II Limited, but in a desert yellow and black color. Instead of a regular pilot figure, the Zoid came with a figure of Irvine. Gachapon Minis The Gojulas was released as part of the first wave of gachapon minis. The Gojulas MK II was also featured as part of wave eight. Gojulas Mariner This version was released in Japan as a part of the 'Yuji Kaida' limited edition series in 2003. This version is identical to the Gojulas Mk II, but with a blue, grey, and bronze color scheme, along with red eyes. New English Release The Gojulas was released in the UK as a part of the NER in 2003. The NER version is identical to the NJR version. TRU Gojulas Mk II In 2005, Gojulas Mk II was re-issued as a Toys "R" Us Japan exclusive. This version was identical to the original Gojulas Mk II, but with red eyes instead of green. Additionally, the mold appears to have been repaired, as it lacks the quality issues of the New Japanese Release version. A mistake often occurs in seeing this Zoid as a Toy Dream Project version, because several TDP Zoids were re-issued the same time, that were also MK2 versions from the same part of the OJR line. Forest Gojulas This limited edition version of the Gojulas was released by TOMY in August 2006. The Zoid was recolored in dull green and dull grey, with a smoke canopy, supposedly as forest camouflage. The Zoid came with a gold pilot figure and both OJR and NJR-style labels, and was released in a box with art and logos similar to the OJR release. Holotech Gojulas A Toys "R" Us Japan exclusive released in late 2006, the Gojulas HT was moulded completely in clear plastic with a white light. Two packaging styles are known: the TRU black box, and another rarer white box, that was used in conventions. Evo Drive The Gojulas was released as a part of the Evo Drive line. It is designated as ZED-01. Evo Drive Gojulas Mariner The Gojulas Mariner was released as a part of the Evo Drive line. It is designated as ZED-02. LB Gojulas The LB Gojulas was the first Zoid in the Legends Series, a subline of Neo-Blox. Styled after the various Gojulases that have gone before it, the LB has been redesigned to be equal in size to other Neo-Blox Zoids. The model comes on five frames along with three Neo-Blox modules, a clear canopy, four fins, a frame of connectors also included with several other Neo-Blox Zoid kits, and a chromed gold pilot. One of the frames was first used on the Brave Jaguar, and another on the Raptojaguar, although not all of the components from these frames are used in the construction of LB Gojulas. The colors are based on those of the NJR Gojulas, but the kit also includes a pair of scaled-down Supercannons. LB Gojulas Mk II Based on the Legends Blox Gojulas, the LB Gojulas Mk II was the third Zoid released in the Legends Blox subline. The kit is a re-issue of the LB Gojulas, recolored to resemble the Gojulas Mk II Limited. It includes a new frame of weapons designed to resemble the parts on the OJR kit. G2 Rex A recolor of the LB Gojulas was included with the G2 Rex kit. This version was recolored in black and maroon with a red canopy. The kit also included similarly recolored versions of the Raptojaguar and Brachiorakete. Category:Zoids Category:Godzilla-Inspired Zoids Category:Helic Republic Zoids Category:Tyrannosaur-Type Zoids Category:OJR Category:OER Category:NJR Category:NAR Category:Dinosaurs Category:Extinct animals